Link mat construction



April 29, 1941. H. w. BELL LINK MAT CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 6, 1938 ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 29, 1941 LINK MAT CONSTRUCTION Harry W. Bell, Seattle, Wash, assignor to Durable Mat Company, Seattle, Wash, a corporation of Washington Application December 6, 1938, Serial No. 244,193

5 Claims.

This invention relates to link mat constructions, and more especially it relates to improvements in edging or nosing strips for articulated I mats, and to improved means for attaching said edging strips and nosin strips to the mat structure.

The invention is an improvement upon the structure of my prior United States Patent No. 2,142,832, issued January 3, 1937. The chief objects of the invention are to improve upon my prior construction aforesaid by simplifying the elements thereof; providing improved appearance; providing substantially identical means for attaching the nosing strips and the lateral edging strips; and providing means for firmly attaching the edging strips and nosing strips, yet enabling the same readily to be removed if desired. Other objects will be manifest as the description proceeds.

of the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a mat embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional perspective View of the edging strip shown in Fig. 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a clip employed for attaching edging strips to the mat, before the same is crimped into place thereon; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a clip employed for attaching nosing strips to the mat.

Referring to the drawing, the mat shown comprises a multiplicity of rubber blocks IE], Ill that are arranged in overlapping, laterally abutting relation, and are hingedly joined to each other by of the mat, cylindrical spacer members I3 are mounted on the wires between adjacent blocks Attached to each side of the mat is an edging strip I4, the construction of which is best shown r in Fig. 3. As shown, the edging strip I4 is an elongate structure of rubber or other flexible composition, that may be made in a continuous strip by extrusion and subsequently out to length and vulcanized. The edging strip I4 is substantially the same thickness as the blocks Iii of the mat, and has one marginal face formed with a relatively wide longitudinally extending groove l5. Opening into the bottom of groove I5 is a slot I6 that extends longitudinally of the strip, said slot being relatively narrow as compared to groove I5, but much deeper than the latter. The bottom face of the edging strip is formed with a longitudinally extending groove or recess N that is relatively wide and shallow, the recess [1 being disposed below the slot IS.

The edging strip I4 is attached to the mat structure by means of a plurality of metal clips I 9, I9. Each clip I9 consists of a single piece of sheet metal that comprises a sleeve-like portion I Bet adapted to be clamped about the adjacent, angularly-bent end portions IIu. of two of the frame wires II, and a tongue like portion I91) projecting laterally from said sleeve portion, said tongue portion being formed with an elongated aperture or slot 20 extending parallel to said sleeve-like portion. Clip portion Ifia is open, as shown in Fig. 4, before being applied to the wires I l, andafter being mounted upon said wires it may swivel thereon. The arrangement is such that when the clips I9 are mounted upon the wires II as described, the edging strip I l may be applied to the mat in abutting relation to the wear plates I2 thereof, the tongues I82) of the clips i9 bein received in the recess It of the edging strip and the sleeve-like portions of the clips being received in the marginal groove I5 thereof, so as completely to be concealed thereby. The edging strip and the clips are secured together by means of self-tapping screws 2| that pierce the rubber structure between the slot I6 and recess I1, the heads of the screws seating in the latter, and the threaded bodies of the screws passing through the respective slots 20 of the clips. The screws 2I, which as shown are known to the trade as Phillips recessed head screws, extend only part way through the strip I4 and are invisible from the top thereof. The provision of the slots 20 in the clips I9 makes it possible easily to insert the screws 2I at the proper' places without providing bores or apertures in the strip for receiving said screws.

Attached to each end of the mat are nosing strips, such as the nosing strip 24, Fig. 1. The nosing strips are similar to the edging strips It in that each is provided with a groove 25 in one marginal face thereof, there being a narrow longitudinally extending recess or slot 26 in the strip opening into the bottom of said groove, and a groove (not shown) in the bottom face of the strip similar to groove ll of edging strips M. The nosing strips -24 are somewhat wider than the edging strips I 4, but are of the same thickness, the marginal portion thereof remote from the grooved margin tapering to a blunt nose, which has its upper face formed with longitudinal fiuting 21. Theedging strips [4 and nosing strips 24 may be spliced together at the corners of the mat, as shown at 28, Fig. 1.

' For securing the nosing strips 24 to the mat, a plurality of metal clips 30 are provided. As is best shown in Fig. 5, each clip 30 consists of a metal plate that has been centrally twisted on its longitudinal axis through an angle of 90 to provide a body portion 330, and a tongue portion 301). the planes of said portions being disposed at right angles to each other. The body portion 38a is formed with an aperture 3| of suflicient size to receive a wire H, and the tongue portion 39b is formed with a transversely disposed slot 32 similar to slot of clip IS. The clips are swiveled upon the Wires I I at each end of the mat, at spaced intervals between blocks l0 and spacer members l3, the wires extending freely through the apertures 3| of the clips. The tongue portions 3% of the clips extend into the recesses 26 of the respective nosing strips and are secured therein by self-tapping screws 2| in the manner described with relation to the edging strips M.

The invention provides a mat of attractive appearance and durable, sturdy construction. Because the clips 30 are swiveled on the wires H, the mat may readily be rolled up in the direction of its length. The features of attaching the edging strips and the nosing strips in the same manner makes for simplicity and uniformity of construction.

Modification may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a link mat construction, the combination of a mat body including a metal frame, a marginal strip of flexible material extending along a side of the mat, said strip being formed with a longitudinally extending groove in one marginal face thereof and formed rearwardly of said groove with a relatively narrow longitudinally extending slot that is open at one side throughout its entire length to the bottom of said groove, said groove and slot being coextensive with said strip, metal clips secured at spaced points to said metal frame positioned in the groove of said strip and formed with integral tongue portions extending into said slot, and securing means extending only partly through the strip, from the bottom thereof, and concealed from the top thereof, engaging said tongue portions for attaching the strip to the body.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which the last mentioned means are screws that have threaded engagement with the material of the marginal strip.

3. In a link mat construction, the combination of a mat body including a metal frame, a marginal strip of flexible material extending along a side of the mat, said strip being formed with a longitudinally extending groove in one marginal face thereof and formed rearwardly of said groove with a relatively narrow longitudinally extending slot that is open at one side throughout its entire length to the bottom of said groove, said groove and slot being coextensive with said strip, metal clips swiveled at spaced points upon said metal frame positioned in the groove of said strip and formed with tongue portions extending into said slot, and screws threaded partly through the marginal strip from the bottom thereof and engaging the respective clip-tongues for securing said strip to the mat body, said marginal strip having a longitudinally extending recess in the bottom thereof in which the heads of the screws are received.

4. In a link mat construction, the combination of a mat body comprising links hingedly mounted upon a wire frame, a marginal strip of flexible material extending along a side of the mat and formed with a longitudinally extending slot open to the margin of the strip adjacent the mat, metal clips swiveled at spaced points on said wire frame, between laterally adjacent links, each clip having an apertured planar body portion through which a frame-wire extends and an integral tongue portion disposed in a plane at right angles to the plane of said body portion, said tongue portion extending into the slot in said marginal strip, and fastening means extending into said strip, transversely thereof, and engaging said tongue portion to secure the strip to the mat body.

5. A nosing strip for mats consisting of an elongated structure of flexible material formed with longitudinally extending groove in one marginal face thereof, and formed rearwardly of said groove with a relatively narrow longitudinally extending slot that is open at one side throughout its entire length to the bottom of said groove, the bottom face of the strip being formed with a shallow longitudinally extending recess disposed beneath said slot.

HARRY W. BELL. 

